1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high visibility safety lighting system integrated within a vehicle such as a bicycle, motorcycle or a stroller; more particularly to a safety lighting system integrated within segments of a frame of a vehicle that provides illumination to the frame for enhanced safety while operating the vehicle during dusk or nighttime hours.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many patents address issues related to providing safety lights for bicycles, motorcycles or strollers. However, several of the lighting devices heretofore disclosed and utilized fail to provide a lighting system that is integral within a frame of a vehicle, such as a bicycle or stroller. Moreover, the lighting devices heretofore disclosed and utilized fail to provide a significant quantum of light emitted from a frame of a vehicle in a manner so the operator is highly visible to others.
Assorted lightning devices are provided as attachments appointed to be affixed to the external body of the vehicle/bicycle/stroller, and are not integrated within the frame of the vehicle. For example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,517 to Fenton discloses a lighted bicycle carrier bag comprising a bag body defining an enclosed space and suitable elements for attaching the body to a portion of a bicycle and having an electroluminescent light strip on the exterior of the bag such that it is visible to an observer from both sides and either the rear or the front thereof; U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,384 to Chien discloses a vehicle with an EL light strip via a moving vehicle illuminated sign incorporating a D.C. power supply, sensor, electric circuit, function control circuit, electroluminescent light strip, switch and housing, that is stuck on the vehicles' body by glue to give other vehicles' a message for special situations or a warning signal for unexpected situations on road; U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,018 to Blum discloses a vehicle light apparatus removably mounted on a vehicle such as a stroller or bicycle including a rectangular web of pliant material having opposed long sides with fasteners for wrapping around an elongate member of a vehicle and light emitters positioned to emit light from opposed sides of the member; U.S. Pat. No. 6,772,711 to Morgan discloses a reversible reflective/fluorescent rectangular sleeve safety device having two strips of highly reflective material on one side with one half of a hook and loop fastening means and two strips of high-visibility fluorescent material on the opposite side with the remaining half of the hook and loop fastening device; the sleeve does not have active illumination and does not work reliably in either daytime or nighttime hours; and US Patent Publications 20050057943 and 20050057942 to Mako et al. disclose illumination and reflective devices comprising an illumination device with a top side having a reflective surface and a plurality of holes, an electrical circuit connected to a single light emitting diode (LED) light source operating with a plurality of fiber optic cables secured thereto to emit light through the holes, and an attaching surface, such as a magnetic or Velcro® layer, for securing the illumination device to articles, such as clothes, automobiles, poles, etc. These lighting/reflective devices are appointed to be attached to the exterior body of a vehicle, via fastening means, and are not integrated within the frame of the vehicle. As such, these devices must be applied by the operator onto the body of the vehicle, and the visibility is limited. Moreover, as these devices are on the exterior of the vehicle, they are vulnerable to damage during usage of the vehicle, or during inclement weather.
Other lighting devices are provided to indicate information to an operator of a vehicle as display lights, and are not visible as safety lights warning others of the vehicle's presence. For example: U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,752 to Kishimoto discloses a bicycle display unit with backlight that displays information to the rider on a display panel, such as bicycle speed, distance traveled, lap time, running time, current time, rider cadence, torque applied to the bottom bracket axle, and shift position of the shifting mechanism. The bicycle display unit has a backlight arranged to illuminate the front display surface for viewing the information displayed thereon; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,119,668 to Kitamura et al. discloses illumination-controlled bicycle display apparatus comprising a display device mounted to the bicycle, wherein the display device displays various types of information to a rider. A light sensor and a display control element are coupled to the display device, which displays information in a backlit LCD screen in accordance with signals from the light sensor. These devices are merely display devices for the operator to view operating information. Illumination of the backlight does not constitute a safety light informing others of the presence of the bicycle in the road. Several of these lights are display lights, not safety lights.
Various lighting devices are provided for implementation into devices appointed to be worn or operate in conjunction with a vehicle, such as safety helmets. For example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,621 to Mantha et al. discloses an illuminated safety helmet having a pair of LED modules that are mounted at the front thereof associated with an electrical circuit having an on-board battery activated via a chin strap fitted with snap and electrical contacts incorporated within connectors which when joined operate to secure the helmet on the user's head and close and opens the circuit to activate the lights. These type of devices are not integrated within the frame of a vehicle, but are rather utilized in helmets or the like. As such, using these helmet lights provides a degree of safety, but lighting emitted from the frame of the vehicle would provide enhanced visibility of the operator even from further distances off.
Other lighting devices are constructed and utilized as indicator lights for vehicles, and do not operate or function to provide safety lighting for the vehicle. For example: US Patent publication 20060125615 to Song discloses vehicle accelerator and brake indicators providing visual indication of braking, coasting and acceleration that are visible from the front, sides and rear of a vehicle, such as cars, trucks, trailers, airplanes, motorcycles, bicycles, and toy vehicles, comprising a housing including a reflective shell and one or more translucent lenses forming a sealed enclosure, a connector or socket, a removable light bulb or light emitting element, a means to electrically connect a socket to the brake light electrical system, and a means to electrically connect a socket to a sensor attached to the accelerator system of a motor vehicle. These types of indicator lighting devices are merely vehicle accelerator and brake indicators and are not suited for bicycles or strollers as same generally do not contain acceleration sensors. Moreover, light is merely emitted when the vehicle is braking, coasting and acceleration, and as such they are not visible at all times during operation at night; as a result, these types of indicator lights, although useful to warn other drivers of the operators actions, are not optimal in providing visibility lighting safety.
There remains a need in the art for a high visibility safety lighting system integrated within the frame or body of a vehicle, such as a motor cycle, bicycle, scooter, or toy vehicle, as well as a stroller, baby carriage walker, wheel chair, cane, ski pole, or the like, that visually warns drivers of proximate vehicles and traffic, thereby increasing the margin of safety for occupants and others in the immediate vicinity of the lighting system.